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As I descended the stairs of the jet, the back door of the SUV opened, andup and down,me fear she would break the heel off one of her stiletto boots and hurt herself

“Nev!” she squealed as I neared, and she threw her arms around me

Her boots made her a few inches taller than me, and her eyes were a warm honey-brown, but other than that, we looked freakishly sile line on her face that suggested she’d birthed five children who’d kept her and Daddy on their toes twenty-four seven for the past eighteen years Her long dark hair was pulled up into a sirays, the only real proof of her age

“Happy alh to kiss hteen so quickly?”

“Ti fun,” Mia co from Mom

“Hoas your flight?” Mom asked as Marcus tossed our cases in the back of the SUV

“Uneventful,” I told her with a shrug

“I doubt you would have noticed the back end of the plane exploding, you were so lost in your oonderland,” Mia said with a laugh “It was so bumpy, I threw up for like an hour because of the weather over the Midwest”

Mom’s eyes sparkled as we took our seats in the vehicle “Hmm I wonder why It couldn’t be because of a certain retired Marine, now could it?”

I felt my cheeks heat, but I wasn’t about to lie to her “Maybe”

“So…” Mohtly to face me “What’s the verdict on that avenue currently? The boy smarten up yet?”

“Mom,” I huffed “Really, it’s none of your business”

“Bullshit I just want to know if you two are going to becorad school here or back in Virginia?”

I sighed as I pulled on lanced at her, I noticed she looked a little green,ht Sweat beaded on her upper lip, and she wiped her hand across it, givingher own belt in place I knew she didn’t always travel hen it caht I’d heard her in her bathroo sick…

My eyes widened when she winked at me, but I kept my mouth shut Maybe she had a reason other than my birthday celebration with the family to want to come home to see her parents